Process of applying coating material.



H. W. DAY- PROCESS OF APPLYING COATING MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6. 1916- Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Inventor.

Herberi Wllay, b

fi i @3 3.

HERBERT W. DAY, OF WOLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNOR TO SPRAY ENGINEER- IN G COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,A'GOBPOBATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF APPLYING COATING MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 191 '7.

Application filed December 16, 1816. Serial No. 137,435.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT W DAY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Wollaston, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Processes of ApplyingCoating Material, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a process for applying coating material tosurfaces. The coating, if a liquid, may be a paint, japan, varnis orother suitable coating medium, or it may be a solid in powdered form,and the material to which it is to be applied may be of any character,such, for example, as wood, metal or other material.

An important object of the invention is to effect by the describedprocess the formation of a film maintained by capillary action andbroken and projected by fluid under pressure.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein I have represented atool or mechanism by which my process may be carried out;

Figure 1 is a side elevation, of such tool or mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof; and- Fig. 4 is a section upon theline 4-4 of Fi f n accordance with my invention, I maintain a film ofcoatin material and discharge the material of sai film onto the obiectto be coated, by subjecting said film to the impact of a filmbreakingand discharging fluid which may be air or other suitabie medium.Preferably, the film is subjected to the im' pact of the film breakingand dischar ing fluid in a direction transversely to said lm.

The method, as hereinafter more fully set forth, may be carried out bymany different types of mechanisms or otherwise, but for Y convenienceof description I shall set forth in detail a tool or mechanism by whichthe said method is most effectively carried out.

The tool or appliance may be of any suitable material, but preferably itis metallic. The body 1 thereof may be of any suitable form andpreferably it is provided with handle or extension 2 integral therewithan having an opening 2 permitting access to the valve operating lever2". In the disclosed form of the invention, the said'operating lever isof general trigger form, but such construction may be widely variedwithin the scope and purpose of the invention. The body 1 of the tool isprovided with a passage 3 for air or other suitable fluid under pressureand with a passage 4 for the paint or other coating liquid or powder,which also may be supplied under suitable pressure if desired, orthrough gravity. To this end I have provided supply pipes 5 and 6,tapped into the passages 3 and 4 as represented in Fig. 2.

Controlling the air supply passage 3 is a valve, which may be of anysuitableform but which is herein represented as an axially movablemember 7, positioned within a valve casing 8, tapped into the body 1 at9. The said casing 8 is provided with a suitable passage 10 for theentrance of the air, and with a discharge passage 11- through which theair may enter a passage 12 herein represented as leading in an inclineddirection to a through passage 13, wherein is positioned a needle valve14 threaded at 15 for adjustment and provided with a knurled adjustingdisk or member 16. The said valve 7 is normally held closed by a coiledspring 17 positioned between a washer 18 and the inner surface of thevalve casing 8. The inner portion of the said valve 7 is tapered asindicated at 19, and said valve is provided with an axial. prolongation20, of spindle or pin-like form, extending into a recessed portion 21 ofthe operating valve 22- mounted within a suitable recess 23 in the body1 of the tool and having the operating lever 2 previously referred to.

The liquid or other coating supply passage 4 is controlled by a valve,preferably generally similar in construction and mode of operation tothe valve that controls the air supply. Herein for the purpose, I haverepresented a valve casing 24, having a port 25 for the discharge of thecoating material, and a smaller port 26 through which said materialenters the valve casing. Said port 26 is controlled by a valve 27,preferably of a construction similar to the valve 7, and normally heldclosed by a coil spring 28. The said valve 27 is provided with an axialextension 29, entering a recess 30 of the operating valve 22.

The construction and operation are such casing 31,-here V controls thesaid opening 37.

that upon movement of the operating lever 2" in the proper direction thevalves 7 and 27 are opened so as to dischar air and coating materialthrou h the va ve casings 8 and 24. If desired, may provide means toadjust or vary the lengths of the extensions 20, 29, so as to adjust thesequence of the opening of the valves 7, 27. While I may so adjust theparts that either-of said valves is opened first, I preferably soconstruct the parts that the valve controlling the assage 3 is openedfirst.

I desired, the valve 27 may be constructed like the valve 7, which is sopositioned and constructed that the entering air tends to close thevalve. Any suitable valve may, however, be employed.

The passage 13 for the compressed air or other suitable fluid extendsthrough the body 1 of the tool and upon the forward end of said body ismounted a cap-like valve shown as having a threaded portion 32 tappedinto the recessed portion 33 of the bod -The said valve casing 31 isprovided -wit a tapering discharge passage 34 controlled by the saidneedle valve 14.

Outside of the valve casing 31 is a member 35 hereinshown as having aconcaved or curved inner surface 36 and a small central opening 37 inline with the axis of the needle valve 14. Said needle valve 14 also Thesaid member 35, which may be of general caplike form, is hereinrepresented as internally threaded at 38, and as received upon theexternally threaded ortion 39 of'the tool body. The length 0 thethreaded portion 39 is sufficient to permit adjustment of the member 35,andI preferably provide a lock nut 40 in the rear of said member 35 tomaintain a fixed adjustment and to prevent leakage by compressing thethreads 39.

The interior of the member 35 is in communication with the interior ofthe valve casing 24 by means of a passage 41.

If desired, and as herein shown, the tool bod 1 may be provided with asupporting him 42 of suitable formation and herein 'replresented asintegral with the body of the too In carrying out my method by theherein disclosed tool or mechanism, the coating material entering themember 35 forms a film upon the thickness of this film ma varied byadjustment 0 Such film is constantly formed and maintained by capillaryaction between the two surfaces which are brought close enou h togetherto insure such action. The a r enterin through the passage 3 breaksthrough the mat the central portion of the cap and discharges the sameupon the work in very fine globules. Said film is constantly broken bythe air or other blast, but is conbe very readily tially transversecurrent, whereby inner surface thereof, and the the member 35.

stantly restored through the action of capillarity. Hence the coatingmaterial may be merely under suction due to capillary action. Themaintenance of the supply of coating material is not dependent upon thepresence of the air blast: which is used merely to break the film anddischarge the globules. If desired and preferably I eniploy heated airor a heated gas of any suitable kind entering the same through thepassage 3, and if desired a heated coating material may be employed.

I effect through the described process a very fine division of thecoating material, the fineness of the division thereof depending uponthe velocity of the air or gas entered through the passage 3. The saidblast of air or other gas carrying with it the coating material in fineglobular form effects a laying of the fibers of the work particularly ifthe latter be Wood, and also effects a drying of the applied coating.For this reason, I am enabledto dispense with the preliminary sanding ofwooden surfaces.

Having thus described my method and the means best known to me forcarrying the same into efl'ect, I desire it to be understood ,that,although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and.descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of theinvention being set forth in the following claims.

The apparatus shown herein but not claimed is the subject of Patent No.1,172,233, Feb. 15, 1916.

Claims:

1. That method of applying coating which comprises conducting bycapillarity a film of the coating material into a position substantiallytransverse to the path of a film breaking and discharging fluid, andeffecting the breaking and discharge of said film by the action of saidfluid.

2. That method of applying coating which comprises directing a fluidcurrent and conducting by capillarity a film of the coating materialinto a position substanto the path of said fluid the film is broken anddischargled upon the work.

3. hat method of applying coating which comprises directing a fluidcurrent and conducting by capillarity a film of the coating materialinto a position substantiallytransverse to the path of said fluidcurrent, and constantly renewing and maintaining a film by capillarityin such position whereby the film is constantly broken and dischargedupon the work.

, 4. That method of applying coating 'w ich comprises directing a fluidcurrent and conducting wholly by capillarity a film of a coatingmaterial into a position substantially transverse to the path of saidfluid current, whereby the film is broken and discharged upon the work.

5. That method of applying coating which comprises directing a fluidcurrent and conducting by capillarity a film of the coating materialinto a position substantially transverse to the path of said fluidcurrent, and supplying coating material for the restoration of the filmby suction due to c: pillary action. whereby the fihn is constantlyhroken and discharged upon the work by said fluid current.

(3. That method of applying coating which comprises directing a fluidcurrent and constantly conducting hy capillarity a film of the coatingmaterial into the path of said fluid current and renewing by capillaritya film in such position, whereby said film is constantly hroken andconstantly discharged upon the work.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HERBERT \V. DAY.

